Die cast unloader



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. J. SEHN ET AL DIE cAsT UNLOADER l Afrox/Mfrs Sept. 6, 1966 Filed Aug. l5, 1963 Sept. e, 1966 F. J. SEHN ET AL DIE CAST UNLOADER Filed Aug. l5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 of f, f/

Sept. 6, 1966 F, J, SEHN ET AL DIE CAST UNLOADER 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. l5, 1963 Sept. 6, 1966 F, J, SEHN ET AL DIE CAST UNLOADER 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 15, 1965 In, 01M; WH, AM., WW y v//w? g /w w Mrk h \W m1* Nuv- U \m\ Sept. 6, 1966 F, J, SEHN ET AL 3,270,379

DIE CAST UNLOADER Filed Aug. 15, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 SOL 5 MM CR/ 50A A JAW R2 INVENTOR..5` FRAM/05 J7 JEH/v MAt/R/Cf M. C2i/14 oA/s United States Patent O ons, Franklin, Mich., assignors to Press Automation Systems, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 302,353 3 Claims. (Cl. 22-94) This invention relates to a die casting unloader and more particularly to a swinging arm unloading unit adapted to mount directly on the tie bars of a die casting machine and upon openingvof the dies to automatically cause unloader jaws to engage the exposed sprue of a die casting, grip the same, retract the die casting laterally from the die cavity and then remove it along an abruptly different relatively flat path to a location outside of the machine to a release position. Two power cylinders are employed, one of which produces swinging arm movement and the other of which produces required jaw movement. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a swinging arm suspension and linkage capable of producing a relatively dat, gradually rising retraction path for the die casting; another object is to adapt a single jaw cylinder to produce successive jaw actuation to a sprue gripping position followed by lateral retraction of the die casting along a path substantially normal to the plane of action of the swinging arm mechanism; another object is to provide automatic means associated with ther die casting unloader for blow-out and lubrication of the dies. These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings disclosing same wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the die casting unloader;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned end elevation taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the swinging arm raised to the retracted position shown in phantom in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional end elevation taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the unloader jaw assembly taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the jaws in their die casting gripping and retracted position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the jaws in their open position prior to die casting engagement;

FIG. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the unloader jaw assembly taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a similar sectional view taken along the line 7-7 ofV FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the die casting unloader pneumatic circuit; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic wiring diagram of the die casting unloader electrical circuit.

Referring to FIG. l the die casting unloader includes' a base casting 10, adapted for attachment to the upper tie bars 11 of a die casting machine 12. On -a horizontal upper mounting surface 13 of the casing 10, a pair of side plates 14 are mounted rigidly -to suitable angle irons and attachment brackets to provide laterally spaced anchor points for the swinging arm and actuating mechanism comprising a channel arm 15 pivotally connected to the respective side plates 14 with bearings having a transverse axis 16. Another depending channel arm 17 is pivotally connected at 18 to the lower end of arm 15 and pivotally connected at its lower end 19 to a bracket 20 carrying the jaw assembly mechanism 21. A further channel arm 22 is pivotally connected at its upper end 23 to the side plates 14 and at its lower end 24 to the arm 17 providing both an actuating and control arm for the angular relationship of arms 15, 17 as they move to their retract position shown in phantom. An actuating cylinder 25, pivotally ICC mounted at 26 between the side plates 14 has a piston rod yoke 27 pivotally connected at 28 to an intermediate portion of the arm 22 and a further control arm 29 pivotally connected at 30 to the forward end of ythe mounting bracket for jaw assembly 21 has a pair of laterally spaced rollers 31 a-dapted to ride between a pair of gibs 32 mounted on the inner faces of the side plates 14. Laterally spaced portions 29a of the arm 29 are provided at their upper ends with laterally spaced, outwardly facing gibs 33 adapted -to engage a guide roll 34 mounted on the inner face of each of the side plates 14.

It will be seen that with the linkage arms described the jaw assembly will remain in a substantially horizontal position While traveling along a relatively flat gradually ascending path 35 to a retracted discharge position.

Referring to FIGS. 4-7 it will be seen that the mounting bracket 20 for the jaw assembly 21 has rigidly attached thereto a pair of gibs 40 including a cam track 41 and a support angle 42 -for sliding engagement by a plate element 43 secured to the movable sub-assembly 21a, pivotally suspende-d at 44 from the mounting bracket 20. The sub-assembly 21a includes a bracket 45 having secured thereto a tubular extension 46 aligned with a mounting bracket 47 for actuating cylinder 48 which has a piston rod 49 connected to a cylindrical element 50 movable within the tubular extension 46 and having seated therein a transverse pin 51 for roller 52 engaging guide track 41. Within a cylindrical bore 53 in the element 50 a guide 54 having a transverse slot 55 engaged by transverse pin 56 anchored at one end of the element 50 is urged by compression spring 57 to the position shown in FIG. 7 where the pin 56 registers against the left-hand end of slot 55. A plate 60 rigidly mounted at the end of the tubular extension 46 mounts a pair of jaw elements 61 pivotally connected thereto at 62. The jaw element 58 has a V-groove 63 adapted to cooperate with gripping elements 64 to engage the cylindrical sprue 65 of a die casting when the jaw elements are actuated as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7 it will be seen that initial actuation of the jaw cylinder 48 will cause the roller 52 to move along the initial portion of the cam track 41 causing the jaw elements 63-64 to close on the die casting sprue 65 by the engagement of pins 66 anchored at the ends of jaw elements 61 with angular slots 67 formed in the jaw element 58 whereupon the further actuation of the cylinder 48 will cause the roller 52 to engage the second portion of the cam track 41 shifting the jaw assembly 21 to the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a control system is required which, upon opening of the die casting machine, will advance the swinging arm mechanism through actuation of cylinder 25 from the phantom position shown in FIG. 1 to the full line position and that the cylinder 48 should thereupon be actuated to advance the piston rod 49 actuating the jaw assembly successively to sprue engaging and laterally extracting positions followed by actuation of the cylinder 25 to the unloading position shown in phantom and the actuation of cylinder 48 to a jaw releasing position. The pneumatic and electrical circuits schematically illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 for effecting such sequence of operations will now be described.

With three-position control switch in automatic position as shown in FIG. 9, swinging arm movement to a die casting engaging position is initiated by the closing of limit switch LSX in response to the opening of the dies (not shown) completing a circuit to control relay CRl, closing all of the corresponding normally open contacts shown in FIG. 9, thereby energizing solenoid SOL B, reversing the sin-gle solenoid spring return 4-way valve shown associated therewith in FIG. 8 to cause retraction Iof the cylinder arm piston from its extended position :gardera d bringing the jaw assembly 2l to a position for engagement of the die casting sprue as shown in FlGS. 5 and 7 and closing thereby limit switch L82 for energizing the jaw solenoid SOL A, actuating the single solenoid spring return 4-way valve shown associated therewith in FIG. 8 to the position shown for extending the jaw piston to effect die casting engagement and extraction from the die. A build-up of air pressure on pressure switch PS1 at the end of the extraction stroke of the jaw cylinder closes two normally open contacts associated therewith for energizing time delay relay TD1 and control relay CRS, the latter energizing solenoid SOL C reversing the single solenoid spring return 3-way valve shown associated therewith in FIG. 8, delivering air pressure to the lubricating nozzle 30 for a brief interval controlled by time delay relay TD2, energized upon the closing of relay CRS. The pressure switch PS when actuated also opens a normally closed PS1 contact in series with the energizing circuit reiay CRE, thereby causing retraction of the swinging `arm and upon completion of a longer time interval controlled by time delay relay TDi, the energizing circuit for control relay CRE is opened to effect retraction of the jaw cylinder releasing the die casting and thereby completing the `automatic cycle.

When the 3-way switch is moved to its manual position the contacts associated therewith are reversed so that arm movement is initiated by a manual arm push button and the jaw movement by a manual jaw push button or, when the switch associated with the jaw cylinder is moved from man position shown to cycie position, reversing the two contacts thereof, a modified manual cycle will result wherein the arm movement is initiated manually but the jaw movement will cycle automatically as previously described.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention including a typical control system for operating same has been shown above and described in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as dened in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination a die casting unloader comprising a swinging arm mechanism adapted for direct mounting on a die casting machine, a die casting machine having tie bars extending in the direction of die movement in opening and closing, said swinging arm mechanism having a piane of operation substantially normal to the direction of die movement in opening and closing, said swinging arm movement including a jaw mechanism, means for actuating said jaw mechanism to engage the sprue of a die casting when the die casting machine is open and to extract it from one of the dies in a direction generally corresponding to the direction of die opening, and means for actuating said swinging arm mechanism to remove the die casting to a position outside of the machine and to release the same, said die casting unloader including a frame, said swinging arm mechanism including linkage pivotally connected to said frame, a iluid pressure cylinder for actuating said linkage, and a fluid pressure cylinder for actuating said jaw mechanism, said jaw mechanism and associated liuid presi sure cylinder including means for converting piston movement of said associated liuid pressure cylinder to initially effect jaw closure and secondarily efect die casting extraction during successive portions of piston movement.

2. A die casting unloader as set forth in claim 1 wherein said swinging arm linkage includes a pair of arms pivotally connected to said frame at spaced points, a third arm pivotally connected at spaced points to said pair of arms, a mounting bracket for said jaw assembly pivotally connected to said third arm, `a control arm pivotally connected to said bracket at a point space from the pivotal connection of said third arm, and guide means interacting with said control arm and said frame to effect a desired positioning of said jaw mechanism during swinging arm movement to an unloading position, and wherein said jaw mechanism is pivotally connecten1 to said bracket, and cam means are provided interacting between said bracket and jaw mechanism to etect die casting extracting pivotal movement of said jaw mechanism following engagement or the die casting.

3. ln combination a die casting unloader comprising a swinging arm mechanism adapted for direct mounting on a die casting machine, a die casting machine having tie bars extending in the direction of die movement in opening and closing, said swinging arm mechanism having a plane of operation substantially normal to the direction of die movement in opening and closing, said swinging arm mechanism including a jaw mechanism, means for actuating said jaw mechanism to engage the sprue of a die casting when the die casting machine is open and to extract it from one of the dies in a direction generally corresponding to the direction of die opening, and means for actuating said swinging arm mechanism to remove the die casting to a position outside of the machine and t0 release the same, said jaw mechanism including a bracket pivotally suspended from said swinging arm mechanism, a pivotal connection between said jaw mechanism and said bracket, a fluid pressure cylinder adapted to actuate said jaw mechanism having an axis substantialiy normal to said pivotal connection, jaw closing linkage responsive to the initial actuation ot said cylinder, and cam means interacting between said bracket and jaw mechanism adapted to produce pivotal movement of said jaw assembly relative to said bracket in response to subsequent actuation of said cylinder, said pivotal movement of said jaw mechanism being adapted to extract said die casting.

Reerences Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATEL TS 1,756,602 4/ 930 Morris et al. 214-1.4 2,253,651 8/1941 Ring 18-42 2,646,857 7/1953 Francisco 214-1.4 2,743,478 5/1956 Harlow et al. 18-5.3 3,053,399 9/1962 Armbrust 214-14 3,080,983 3/1963 Blatt 214-14 3,081,486 3/1963 Skvorc 18-2 I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examinez'. R. D. BALDJVIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION A DIE CASTING UNLOADER COMPRISING A SWINGING ARM MECHANISM ADAPTED FOR DIRECT MOUNTING ON A DIE CASTING MACHINE, A DIE CASTING MACHINE HAVING TIE BARS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF DIE MOVEMENT IS OPENING AND CLOSING, SAID SWINGING ARM MECHANISM HAVING A PLANE OF OPERATION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF DIE MOVEMENT IN OPENING AND CLOSING, SAID SWINGING ARM MOVEMENT INCLUDING A JAW MECHANISM, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID JAW MECHANISM TO ENGAGE THE SPRUE OF A DIE CASTING WHEN THE DIE CASTING MACHINE IS OPEN AND THE EXTRACT IT FROM ONE OF THE DIES IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE DIRECTION OF DIE OPERATING, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID SWINGING ARM MECHANISM TO REMOVE THE DIE CASTING TO A POSITION OUTSIDE OF THE MACHINE AND TO RELEASE THE SAME, SAID DIE CASTING UNLOADER INCLUDING A FRAME, SAID SWINGING ARM MECHANISM INCLUDING LINKAGE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME, A FLUID PRESSURE CYLINDER FOR ACTUATING SAID LINKAGE, AND A FLUID PRESSURE CYLINDER FOR ACTUATING SAID JAW MECHANISM, SAID JAW MECHANISM AND ASSOCIATED FLUID PRESSURE CYLINDER INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONVERTING PISTON MOVEMENT OF SAID ASSOCIATED FLUID PRESSURE CYLINDER TO INITIALLY EFFECT JAW CLOSURE AND SECONDARILY EFFECT DIE CASTING EXTRACTION DURING SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS OF PISTON MOVEMENT. 